Chidi Amuta, Charles Okigbo, Ladi Adamu join board of TheNewsGuru

Ten eminent Nigerians have been named as board members of TheNewsGuru.com (TNG), an online news platform in Nigeria.

The development was announced in a statement released by the management of the news platform.

The board is chaired by Chidi Amuta, a media mogul and author. Amuta is a visiting fellow at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Boston and Cambridge University.

Waheed Mudah, an Ireland-based legal practitioner, will serve as the secretary of the board.

Other members are Charles Okigbo, a professor emeritus; Sandra Adamu, a professor; Muhammed Musa, a professor; Alim Abubakre, UK-based scholar and entrepreneur; Matt Aikhionbare, a former secretary to Edo state government.

Others include Judith Ufford, human and gender activist, Cordelia Onu, a trainer in media usage, Jewell Dafinone, group managing editor of TNG, and Mideno Bayagbon, publisher of TNG.

The statement reads: “The United Kingdom based erudite scholar and entrepreneur, Dr Alim Abubakre; the suave Matt Aikhionbare, who was private secretary to Presidents Obasanjo, Umaru Yar’Adua and Goodluck Jonathan, who was also a secretary to the government of Edo state under Chief Lucky Igbinedion, are among the new members.

“Others include topnotch Dublin, Ireland-based legal practitioner, Waheed Mudah brings his wealth of legal knowledge to the board as Secretary while Mrs Judith Ufford and Cordelia Onu, two of the most decorated female journalists in NIgeria are bringing their diverse experiences.

“Judith who is a keen activist on Human and gender rights, reproductive health and rights, etc., brings her expertise for advocacy, networking, training, investigation and reporting to the board.

“Mrs Cordelia Onu, on the other hand, is a trainer in media usage and mass mobilisation techniques. She is a permanent fellow of World Press Institute and a visiting media fellow at Dewitt Wallace Centre for Communication and Journalism.

“The board is chaired by Dr Chidi Amuta a well known author, academic, celebrated columnist and media mogul. He is a visiting Fellow at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Boston and at Cambridge University.

“He is one of Nigeria’s most respected public intellectuals and media commentators. He combines an active media career with engagement in serious scholarship while also running the multi-billion naira firm: Wilson & Weizmann Associates.

“Professor Sandra Ladi Adamu is the first professor of broadcasting in Northern NIgeria and is currently a lecturer at the Ahmadu Bello University. She was at various times Deputy Editor of the Democrat newspapers, and News Editor at NTA Jos.

“Dr Abubakre who is also on the advisory board of London Business School Africa Club is the founder and non-executive chair of These Executive Minds. TEXEM, which has trained thousand of A-List Nigerians in some of the world’s leading and best universities.

“Professor Charles Okigbo, is a Professor of Professors with wide academic belts across the globe before becoming a Professor Emeritus of Strategic Communication at North Dakota University. He was a former Registrar of APCON and Coordinator of ACCE.

“Professor Muhammed Musa is a Professor of Communication at the Department of Media and Creative Industries, United Arab Emirates University, Dubai.

“He is a serially published author whose teaching and research interests are in the political economy of the media, journalism studies, new media and social change.”